Broken Mirror
by JakeLMc
Summary: A piece of jewelry changes Edward and Jacob's lives forever, letting each other walk a mile in the others shoes. Post Eclipse AU.
1. Start the Machine

**Author's Note: _Please no flaming or comments about how either team is better with Bella or how things are different in the book or movie (I read the book once ages ago and I know some things aren't quite right). All characters (with the exception of any OC's that may be introduced) belong to their respective owners, no infringement intended. Please read and review. It will help the creative process! _**

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**~Chapter 1~**

**_Start the Machine  
_**

_I left some words quite far from here to be a short reminder. I laid them out in stone in case they need to last forever. - _Angels and Airwaves "Start the Machine"

* * *

_Victoria was known to be a hoarder, she took who and what she wanted with no hesitation. It was a joy of being a vampire to her. She should've known better but when she saw the necklace, she had to have it. She should've been more worried about the coming war to get the horrible Cullen clan and their pet, Bella Swan, but it was too pretty to resist._

_It was pretty but she didn't like wearing jewelry traditionally. She planned to hang it from her belt loop, it'd be pretty there._

_The girl she took it from, dark haired and most likely pretty to humans with a small frame and stunning eyes. She smelled vampire on her, but really didn't care. She wanted the necklace. _

_She might make a good member to join the army but she looked a little like the Bella girl from behind. Victoria was quick, the girl had been walking to her car in a dark Seattle parking lot. One hand was on either side of her neck in a strange hug before the girl even knew she wasn't alone. She pulled her arms straight, snapping the girl's neck and she dropped to the ground. She reached down, pulling the necklace free of her neck with a snap. She didn't bother hiding it, there was nothing to indicate vampire. She secured the pendant and went back to her plotting of Bella's life or lack there of._

_

* * *

_

Edward had seen Alice's vision when she saw it. It meant nothing, it was an act of brutality by a brutal inhuman over a trinket. He knew as well as Alice did that the rich scent of another vampire meant that the girl was on borrowed time already, it was sad but inevitable.

By the time the army approached the meadow, he had completely pushed the thought from his head. Bella had agreed to marry him, but then had kissed Jacob. The battle had been intense and for the last few days Bella had been ignoring both him and Jacob. She kept her windows closed and the curtain's drawn and didn't take a call. Edward had considered just going in through the front door, but he decided to grant Bella the time and space she needed. It would play better for him. He just wished he knew what was going through her head, that he could see her turmoil and be able to help her through it.

It seemed though that Jacob felt the same. He sat in the woods in human form and watched the house, he was hiding from his wolf brothers by being in human form but he was as aware of Edward being there as Edward was aware of him.

_Just stay out of my head Leech. _Jacob warned him unnecessarily. It wasn't a voluntary choice, it happened and he mostly ignored it. Edward though pressed into his mind to find out what Jacob's motives were. He was worried about Bella, though relieved that Edward was there. It meant she wasn't dead and one of 'them'. She wasn't a vampire.

Edward took some solace in the fact that Jacob felt the same way he did but now that the battle was won, there was no need to press the friendship thing. He'd play nice for Bella but he couldn't wait until they were away from there, anywhere, with Jacob as a memory of a dear friend that was fading into the shadows of past tense.

He heard the howl and knew Jacob had as well. Jacob didn't want to leave, he didn't want Edward to get the upper hand but when Sam Uley's deep baritone called Jacob's name, he knew he had no choice. He was up to his feet and into the tree line as quickly as his legs could carry him. Edward didn't move though, he had no Alpha to command him. He could stay forever if he had to.

_

* * *

_

Jacob had been expecting an earful from Sam but all the wolves knew that he'd kissed Bella and there'd been something in her eyes. Sam gave his 'brother' a patient smile and squeezed his shoulder. "Head up to the meadow where we burned the bodies. They should be cool now. Embry, Jared, Seth, and I dug pits. Go help Quil, Leah, and Paul bury the remains."

Jake sighed and nodded. He wanted to stay but he wasn't going to challenge a simple order. The Cullens, nor their freaky cloaked red-eyed bloodsucker buddies had obviously not cared as much about the remains. They were mostly ash but jewelry or clothing remnants could be found littering the ground and it'd lead to questions they couldn't afford to deal with.

Jake shifted and kept quiet to the banter of Quil and Paul who were also heading to the meadow. Leah was already there. Quil's voice faded first as he shifted back to human form, Paul was quiet as he ran and then shifted as well. Jacob shifted back and changed. Everyone grew somber. Bloodsuckers or not they'd once been people and their lives had been ripped from them. It was tragic.

Leah handed Jacob a bandana, he noticed the one around her neck and the ones that Paul and Quil were tying to their faces. He did the same. They were soaked in Cedar oil to help block out the scent of the dead vampires while the rag itself would help with the ash. "Thanks."

She didn't say anything as she slid hers back up and went back to work. They each chose something. Leah was taking the chunks of leftover wood from the piles which she used to create new fire for the things that might needed to be re-burned. Quil started to shovel the ash into the pits and Paul started to shovel the unburnable remains like metal and teeth and bones into deeper pits. Jacob started sorting. It was morbid work but if the fangs wouldn't then the Quileute would be forced to clean up their mess.

Jake's sweaty body was covered in ash and dirt within an hour. It was long, slow, work. Sam and the others had misjudged the piles and while Leah waited to burn clothes that were left she started digging other pits. There was no laughter or merriment. Jake knew that they felt like he did, like he was way too young for this kind of shit.

Jake was getting to the bottom of a burn pile usually where the most unburned stuff was. His eyes fell on a pendant. It was covered in a thick layer of ash but it stuck out to him. He bent down and picked it up. The others were too busy or too lost in their thoughts to notice. Jacob brushed his thumb over the pendant, brushing the ash away. It was beautiful. He slid it into his pocket, ignoring the thoughts that it was morbid to take it. He pulled a bit of leather out. It was a fragment of the jacket of that the red-headed bloodsucker that wanted Bella dead. He worked to try to remember her name, Victoria. He added the burn pile and he worked hard to sort through the last pile. He helped Quil and Paul bury the last of what was done and Leah insisted that they left, she'd handle the last bits. He saw tear streaks cutting through the ash on her face and he knew she needed to mourn this, to finish it her way.

Jake didn't argue. He pulled off his bandana and dropped it into the fire and just started walking towards a stream not far from the meadow. He didn't stay to watch the fire consume the cloth, he didn't stay to see echoes of his somber face on the faces of his friends. He didn't want to see the clean patch on their faces that was on his as well. He didn't bother stripping as he dove into the water. His jeans were covered in sweat and ash and this would help clean them too.

The water was cold, straight from a glacier. It helped shock his system back into feeling. He swam for a bit before he remembered the pendant. He pulled it out of his pocket and rinsed it in the water. He looked at it, it was quite mesmerizing as he watched it. The chain was broken at the end from being snapped off of something or likely someone. The frail band was also bent from being tied in a way that was unnatural for the grain of the band. There were a couple places where it looked like it was a little melted.

The chain didn't matter, it was the pendant. It was elegant. Smaller than he thought it looked before. He thought it'd be perfect for Bella on her charm bracelet. Just a small token that he'd stick with a note to tell her he missed her.

He pulled himself from the icy water and slid the pendant into his pocket. He made sure it was safe deep inside before he stripped and rolled up his pants and attached the pants to his leg and shifted.

Jacob went home, showered and wrote the note for Bella. It was sweet and simple.

_I miss you Bella. Add this to your charm bracelet so you know I'm thinking of you._

_ - Your Jake_

He changed into dry clothes and put the pendant and the note into an envelope. He wrote her name on it and hopped a motorcycle back to Bella's house.

Edward was still waiting when Jake got there. He took a breath to make sure he didn't have to breathe in too much of the wolf's scent. Then something hit him, Jacob's thoughts.

Edward was in front of Jacob in an instant. His eyes firmly on Jacob's. "What are you doing?"

_Jealous much?_ Jake thought. "I'm here to give Bella a note and honestly, you can't stop me."

Edward ripped the note from Jacob's hand and ripped it in half, pulling the pendant out. "Where did you get this?"

Jacob growled, his body shuddering in anger. "None of your business, Leech."

"This isn't yours. Tell me where you got it."

Jacob grabbed Edward's hand surprisingly fast, trying to pry it free. "It's for Bella, not you."

His hand loosened and they both touched it at the same time. Each boy felt the same thing, a pull from deep within him that seemed to pull his stomach and insides towards the pendant. They both collapsed.


	2. Through the Glass

**~Chapter 2~**

**_Through the Looking Glass_**

_So while you're outside looking in, describing what you see. Remember what you're staring at is me._ - Stone Sour "Through Glass"

* * *

Jacob's eyes opened. He thought it was later at night then it seemed. Was it morning now? He sat up and looked around, no it was night. He felt something in his hand. He looked down and froze. His hand was pale, it looked like a crystal almost. He was wearing sleeves, "No." He said, realizing his voice wasn't his own. He scrabbled to his feet and he turned to look and he saw himself laying on the ground. He pocketed the pendant and bent down.

He shook himself and his eyes opened. Edward jumped a little as he looked up into his own features. He scrambled back. Both of them spent a few moments processing. Jacob was overcome by his senses and how everything felt so distant from him. He was as still as a statue, not breathing as often as a human should. Edward felt warm for the first time in ninety years. "How is this possible?" Edward asked. _Native magic. Has to be. He's trying to steal Bella._

"Shut up." Jake replied, not realizing that he wasn't speaking aloud. "I didn't do this."

"You heard me." Edward said. He reached his own mind trying to hear anything but nothing came. _It's not possible, he took my talent._

"I didn't take anything." Jacob said, turning to look at him. "And of course I heard you, I have ears."

Edward stared right at him, drawing a deliberate breath in so Jacob could see that he wasn't speaking. _You can hear people's thoughts._

It had slowly been creeping in, but the game on the TV had been loud enough for him to hear. He'd heard another voice, almost what he thought was a commentator, speaking over it. He listened to it, _It's too bad those Quilute boys don't play football. Maybe I should talk to Billy about that. Jake could get a scholarship to the U easily enough. Maybe I could even get Bells to consider it unless that Cullen kid has plans of Ivy League still going through his brain. _Jacob shook his head, trying to shut it off, but another voice joined, and then another and his hands went over his ears.

Edward was a little smug as Jacob seemed so in pain in his body. _Serves you right. _ He thought before another overly cocky thought pressed into his mind. _Don't play with the big boy's toys. _ He blinked. Where had that come from? He wasn't cocky, but now.

"It's the testosterone." Jake said, forcing himself up. A scent hit his nose and his eyes scanned for the source of it.

Edward knew what it was and he moved to Jacob, "Look me in the eyes. That's the thirst. You can't kill people. You'll need to go hunting to control it."

Jacob grit his jaw, "I'm not drinking blood. I'm not a leech."

He held his hand out with the pendant. "It had to be this. Touch it and give me my body back."

Edward did but nothing happened. He heaved a breath, "You said it'd work!" He snapped.

Jacob's lips curled in a grin that didn't suit Edward's face. "Feeling a little riled up there?" He stopped rubbing it in, "No… calm down." He said. "You shift and you'll join the pack mind. You'll kill me and they'll kill you for what happened. You have to relax. Deep breaths. Think of something calming."

"I'm a calm person!" Edward snapped, Jacob's russet skin rippling just a little.

"Think of Bella… of laying with her. Focus and relax." Jacob pressed in a calm voice.

Edward forced himself to draw breaths, relax. It was harder than he thought. _Why ever did __I allow Bella to visit them? They're more volatile than I thought._

"Eat me Cullen." Jake said. "I can control it." He licked his lips a little. "What is that scent?"

"It's Bella's neighbor. A kid. They smell particularly delicious. Not as much as Bella though. She's the strongest I've ever smelled. It's not safe to be around her." Edward said.

Jacob's eyes moved upstairs to Bella's room and he smirked darkly.

Edward moved over. "Jake, you go up there and she's either dead or if you stop she's like me. You don't want that do you?"

Jacob looked to him, forcing himself to focus. "So what do we do?"

Edward took a deep breath. "I'll take your car and you'll take mine and we'll go to my parents and speak with Carlisle."

Jacob didn't like the idea of going there but he could tell that Edward liked it less but it was the only idea he had. "Fine. I'll follow." He moved over to Edward's car and got in while Edward moved to his Rabbit. He was grumbling the entire time internally. Jacob smirked and saw Edward's cell. He picked it up and dialed Bella's number.

She finally picked up, "Edward, I asked for time."

"Bella. I need you to understand. I'm Jacob. Something happened. We switched bodies or something. Neither of us are safe now… but I miss you. I miss your friendship."

"Edward this isn't funny."

"When has he ever been funny?" Jacob asked. "It's me. It's Jake. I'm stuck in this leech's body."

"Jake?" She still sounded skeptical.

"Bella. Edward's in my body. I… I feel so thirsty and I can feel his anger. We're not safe. Shifting is what would make it easier for him, but he'd kill me and Sam and the other's would pick him out as not being me and they'd kill him. So… we'll figure this out, it'll take time. But please… please think about the kiss and how much I love you Bella."

She didn't speak for a minute. "This isn't possible."

He smiled a little. "I know. But it happened. We'll get this figured out. We're going to go to the Cullen's. I need you to go to the Rez. Tell Sam what happened. Him alone. Please Bella."

It didn't make sense to her why Edward would do this to her, why he would say this unless it was true. She swallowed, her mind reeling. "I'll tell him. You just be safe okay? Tell Edward that too."

"I will." He said. He hung up and followed after Edward who didn't look happy to be in his Rabbit.

The Volvo was an extremely powerful machine compared to his volkswagen. Maybe it was Jacob that felt powerful, he could see much further, hear more, his strength also felt different now. It was more contained. As a wolf, Jacob felt like he was bursting at the seams at all times but now he more felt coiled- like he could snap at any second but it was very tightly bound.

Edward on the other hand felt completely overrun by everything. Nothing seemed to be going for him and everything seemed to make him mad. Especially the godforsaken car he was forced to endure. It didn't go as fast as he wanted, the engine wasn't as quiet, it didn't respond quickly enough. Not to mention Jacob was in his car, doing god knows what to it. Just the thought that Jacob could be screwing around with the preset radio stations was making his blood boil.

He almost missed the turn to his house which was infuriating, and by the time he pulled up he was fuming. Jacob saw him get out of the car and slam the door. He jumped out quickly and moved over to him, "Breathe. You can't lose it. Both of our lives depend on it."

"Shut up!" Edward snapped. His muscles were tense and his body shaking a little.

Jacob ran to the house, "Jasper I need you now." He called, knowing that the bloodsucker who could control moods was the only hope for him.

Jasper moved outside. "Edward, what's wrong?"

"I'm not Edward." Jacob said. "He is… help him control himself."

Jasper was confused but one look at Edward was enough for him to know that he was close to erupting. He focused his energy and slowly Edward started relaxing.

"Where's your leader?" Jacob asked. "Where's Carlisle?"

"Here." Carlisle's angelic blond form said as he moved outside. "What is going on?"

"I'm Jacob, he's Edward." Jake clarified. He tossed Carlisle the pendant. "That is what we think did it?"

"Why'd you throw it, you stupid mutt? You trying to hurt him? Trying to break it?" Edward snapped, his anger boiling within him at almost an irrational level even with Jasper's influence.

Jacob sighed a little, he was utterly still other than that. "If he shifts Sam and the other wolves will find out... It won't be pretty."

"Undoubtedly." Carlisle said, his eyes on the pendant. "How did you come by this?"

"It was a gift for Bella." Jacob said.

"That you pulled off of a dead body! Victoria's dead body." Edward snapped.

"Bodies you bloodsuckers left for us to clean up." Jacob said, "It caught my eye and Victoria wasn't going to be using it."

"I'll show you a mess left to clean up." Edward said, moving towards Jacob.

Carlisle moved between them, his eyes on Edward. "Son, you have to control your anger. We will figure this out, but anger will not help."

Edward drew a breath, his stomach rumbled like thunder. "Fine."

"You should eat." Jacob said.

"Eat…" the idea hit Edward and he was almost surprised he hadn't thought of it before. But why would he? He hadn't eaten in years. His lips split in a grin and he moved towards the house, driven by his hunger in a different way than his blood lust. He moved into the kitchen and started digging through the food left in the fridge for Bella.

"Who let the dog in?" Rosalie demanded as she caught scent of Edward.

"Rose, it's not time." Edward said as he took a bite.

She shuddered, almost like a chill was taking over her body. "You do not get to call me that you flea bitten mongrel."

Jacob leaned against the wall, smirking a little. "Why not? That's Edward."

Rosalie looked to him then her brother trapped in Jacob's body. She drew a breath then turned to leave. She passed Emmett coming down the stairs, "What's going on, babe?"

"I am so not dealing with this. Come get me when it's over." She said before moving to the room she shared with Emmett and slamming the door.

"Jasper. Will you get Alice please?" Carlisle asked softly.

Jasper moved towards the stairs but Alice was already coming down, not because she saw Carlisle's request but because of the commotion. She saw Jacob raiding the fridge and Edward leaning against the wall as if it was amusing. "Something's wrong." She said.

Carlisle nodded. "Jacob and Edward have switched bodies somehow."

"I can't see either of them." Alice said, not liking that at all.

"Can you still read thoughts?" Emmett asked Edward.

Edward was busy tasting everything in the fridge. He was chewing but he shook his head. He swallowed, "No. Jacob inherited that trait."

Jacob could hear their chatter in their heads, it was starting to drive him crazy. His posture grew more tense, the longer he stayed as Edward the more he could hear. "It's giving me a headache."

"I like it," Edward said with a grin, "I mean I like not having it."

Jacob's jaw tightened. "And this hunger… is that always there?"

"Yes." Carlisle said. "You will need to hunt."

Jacob's face twitched a little, "I want to go back to my body. I won't feed in this form."

"It might not be possible." Carlisle said. "We will have to look into it, but I don't even know where to begin."

Edward looked over. "We can't tell Bella, you can't see her."

"I already told her." Jacob said. "She's contacting Sam. If he hears it from her and comes here alone we might be able to deal with this better."

"It wasn't your place!" Edward snapped.

"Yeah well I did it cause neither of us could call him and she deserves to know." Jacob said. "Since you're not going to go see her in my body and I can't see her when I feel like this."

Edward pushed the food away and moved over to Jacob. He grabbed the mirror of himself by his shirt and shoving him against the wall, cracking the plaster behind him. "Stop interfering with me and Bella."

"Fine." Jacob said with a smile. "But the question is, can she love you if you look like me or are you the wrong kind of monster now?"


	3. All We Are

**~Chapter 3~**

_**All We Are**_

_And in the end, the words won't matter. 'Cause in the end, nothing stays the same. And in the end dreams just scatter, and fall like rain. - _Matt Nathanson "All We Are"

* * *

Edward lunged, his anger at Jacob's comment unparalleled to anything he'd ever felt before. It took Emmett and Jasper holding him back to keep him from getting to Jacob and Carlisle in front of him to focus his anger. His body had been rippling and it was the closest he'd come to shifting yet. Jacob couldn't help but feel a little smug about his behavior. He was always so poised and now he was falling apart in his anger. Jacob began to wish that Bella could see Edward like that, to see that the anger and moodiness wasn't Jacob but what he had become.

"You have to stop instigating him." Alice said softly to Jacob, "If you honestly don't want Sam and the other wolves in your pack finding out by him shifting, then you have to stop."

Jacob drew a breath and nodded, "Alright. I'll try."

Alice watched him and just by him standing there, she could see something wasn't right with him. It was like he was possessed almost, nothing about Edward seemed right while Jacob was in him. It was unnerving to say the least.

"Did Bella say when she'd contact Sam?" Alice asked.

Jacob shook his head, "No. I told her it was important and to do it as quickly as possible but she has to get to the Rez, get him alone, and tell him."

"Hopefully soon." Alice said, her eyes back on her brother in Jacob's form and his struggle to calm down.

Jacob moved to look around the Cullen's house and to give Edward a chance to calm down. "I don't know how he can do it." Edward said, "I feel like I want to rip apart all of you. It's so overwhelming."

"It's their nature." Carlisle said with a soft smile. "Just like it is ours to feed on people. But you have to learn control of it."

"I don't want to control it, Carlisle. I want to get rid of it."

"Realistically Edward, I don't know if that's possible." He said in as calm and rational of voice as possible. "We don't know what in the necklace caused this. I don't know much about magic. I wouldn't even know where to begin to search. We will search. I promise you that we will search. You both will just have to learn to control your new bodies."

Edward shook his head, "Carlisle... I can't. I don't know if I can."

"You can. You'll have to."

Edward looked back to the food, starting to make something out of all the ingredients he pulled out of the fridge.

Jacob couldn't help but feel intimidated by every inch of this house. It represented everything he'd never have. No wonder Bella loved Edward so much, he was so rich. He felt the presence of Sam's mind as he approached. There was a comfort in it; he was the alpha- he would know what to do. Jacob moved to the door and opened it before Sam could knock, "Sam... it's so good to see you."

"If you're playing any sort of joke on Bella, it isn't funny." He said.

"I'm stuck in the body of this bloodsucker, do I look like I'm laughing about the situation Sam?" Jake said.

Sam looked him in the eyes, trying to search for his wolf brother in there but the eyes of the vampire were almost impossible to look through. He eventually stopped trying, "Can I come in?"

Jacob opened the door more and let him in. "Everyone's in the kitchen."

They walked to the kitchen where Edward was making a sandwich with virtually everything coming out of the fridge. Sam watched him for a minute, that was Jacob's body with a vampire inside of it. He didn't speak, just thinking through it. _I don't know how to explain this to the pack. They'll be upset. Not to mention he'll know how we work if he shifts, he'll know our secrets and he'll be able to come and go on the Rez because he looks like Jacob. I don't like it._

Jacob sighed as he listened to his thoughts, "I know Sam. I don't like it either."

"You can read my mind?" Sam asked, not taking his eyes off of Edward. "Can both of you?"

"Only me." Jacob said. "I agree. I don't think he should try to pretend to be me on the Rez. He won't be able to do it and people are suspicious enough of our wolf activities, if he acts even more off base then someone will notice and start figuring it out. As for the pack, there's only a couple options."

"Which are?" Sam asked.

"You lay it out for them, let them know in a big meeting and let everyone process that in human form and let them decide what they want to do. Some of them might not be comfortable with him in the pack mind. Seth will likely offer to team with him for patrols. He can stay on the Cullen's side of the line while Seth stays on our side. If something comes near our territory, a nomad or anything like that, he can join the hunt or he can shift back and sit it out. He may have ethical issues with killing his own kind. But right now, we only know that a pendant did this. We don't know how or why or for how long. If this is long term, he'll have to learn to control himself and he shouldn't be denied the full brotherhood. It'd be unfair."

Sam nodded, Jacob was calm and rational and had obviously been thinking about it. "You know you won't be part of the pack anymore."

There was a pained look on Jacob's face but he nodded, "I know. If this never changes I can't go home. I know that. I'd never risk going home in this body, it could trigger more kids to shift and that'd be unforgivable." He said, "I hope we could still remain friends... on this side of the line."

Sam nodded again. He didn't know for certain if anyone but Quil or Embry would accept that offer but he wouldn't say that out loud. He saw Jacob's head hang and he knew that Jacob heard him clearly. _I am so sorry, brother. I'll speak with the council and see if anyone knows anything that can __help. But..._

"I know Sam. I'm not holding my breath." Jacob said.

"Don't I have a say in this?" Edward asked.

Sam looked back to him, "Is anything we're saying not working for you."

"Aside from being stuck in this body?" He asked smartly, to which no one seemed impressed, "Where am I supposed to live?"

"Here." Carlisle said. "We'll get you a bed and you can stay here. Jacob can live out in the private house."

"What?" Emmett said. "I don't think that's fair to the rest of us."

Jacob pressed into Emmett's mind and realized there was a house on the property for them to have sex in. He started to see flashes of Emmett going at it with the nasty blonde. "Ew." Jacob said, trying to pull his mind from that. "Stop picturing it. Please. Stop."

Emmett realized what was going on and he started laughing, to which Edward started laughing as well. "Sorry." The big vampire said.

"No you're not." Jacob said, as the images finally faded a little.

"No, not really." Emmett said with a smirk.

Sam didn't seem comfortable, nor did he think it was funny to be left out of their stories. "I need to get back, to talk to everyone. We've had a bit of an issue so we're dealing with that. If he looses it and has to shift, we'll deal with it even though it's bad timing."

"What happened?" Jacob asked, concern in his statue-like features.

Sam didn't speak it but he thought about it. Paul and Jared had gone running toward Ocean Shores to meet up with a friend of Paul's cousin who had tickets to a concert in Tacoma and Jared wanted the tickets to take Kim. When they were running they came across a small pack, all fairly new shifted, and functioning as their own pack. There was five of them, three boys and two girls that were cousins to each other. The eldest girl was working as the alpha. The two groups were quite surprised to cross paths with each other and the concert tickets were all but forgotten. The five were all descendants of the Quilute tribe, though they didn't look it.

Jacob exhaled and he swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"It's a lot to deal with." Sam said, accepting Jacob's comment but not speaking more about it. The older sister wasn't bowing to Sam's authority and her pack had their own independent pack thoughts. She could speak for them but she wasn't allowing any sort of union between the packs fully. She didn't know or trust Sam yet.

"I wish you the best." Jacob said honestly.

"Thank you." He said. He looked to the Cullens, "If you'll excuse me." His eyes found Edward's, "We'll be in touch." With that Sam left.

Jacob leaned against the wall again, his eyes on Edward, "You need to learn control. He has enough to deal with without your added mess."

"Jacob." Carlisle said calmly.

Jacob held his hands up in surrender. "Fine. I'll go let Edward stay calm. But seriously... they don't need this right now."

"What's going on?" Edward asked, for once missing his ability to read minds.

"He just has a very full plate right now." Jacob said, refusing to give more.


	4. Silver Lining

**~Chapter 4~**

_**Silver Lining**_

_And I'm not going back, into rags or into the hole. And our bruises are coming, but we will never fold._ - Rilo Kiley "Silver Lining".

* * *

The two groups stood face to face in a massive clearing. They were all in human form, obviously still feeling each other out. Sam and the alpha of the non-Quileute pack, a woman of twenty-one named Kate, stood tensely facing each. Sam studied her, the light tan in her proud face. Of all of this new pack, she was the only one who looked native at all. He didn't like them here though, but Paul and Jared had brought them here and now they couldn't just chase them away. If they did, they could still run into the Cullens elsewhere and find Jacob in Edward's body and possibly destroy him. He didn't like the fact that they weren't under his control, that this woman who stared him down with her dark eyes, was older than him and wasn't Quileute. Her eyes didn't stay on Sam, which perturbed him more, she wasn't intimidated by his presence.

Sam had left Seth and Leah patrolling the borders of their land, Quil and Embry hid in the woods in human form just watching and Sam stood with Paul and Jared against the pack of five.

"Is this really necessary?" She finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Is what necessary?" Sam questioned.

"The standoff. Your pack asked us to come and we did... either we talk or me and mine will leave." She replied.

Sam's jaw tightened, he didn't like the tone she took with him. "Fine. We talk."

"Here?" She asked, looking around to make a point. "In the middle of the woods?"

"You're not coming onto our land until we have some kind of arrangement." Sam said.

Her lips curled in a smirk, "You can't stop us. We're like you. We're Quileute."

* * *

Jacob sat on the porch, deep in thought. There was a new pack in town, he was trapped in Edward's body and Edward was trapped in his. He was trying to process it all but it seemed so overwhelming. Worse yet was the constant chattering of everyone's thoughts. He couldn't shut it off, it was this constant buzz in the back of his head and it was driving him crazy.

Edward, on the other hand, was experiencing taste for the first time in nearly a century. He felt so hungry, he couldn't quench the hunger. His body was burning calories at such an alarming rate and there wasn't much food in the house. He leaned his head back and poured ketchup into his mouth, "It's so good." He said, as Jasper and Alice watched in gross fascination.

"Edward, you should pace yourself. You don't want to make yourself sick." Alice advised.

He smiled, licking the last of the ketchup off his lips. "You have a point." His stomach gave a loud rumbling noise, obviously unhappy with the type of food he was eating. His nose wrinkled a little at the feeling but when the phone rang he pushed it aside.

Jasper picked it up, "Cullen residence. Hi Bella, no... it's not a good time."

At the mention of Bella's name, Edward ran over to the phone and stole it from Jasper, "Bella. You shouldn't have called."

She was quiet for a moment, "Is this really you Edward?" She asked.

He smiled a little, "Yes Bella, it's me."

He could hear her chewing on her lip as she sat silent on the phone for a minute, "This is so weird."

"I know it is." He said, his stomach giving another rumble- this one louder than the other. "We'll figure it out."

"When can I see you?" She asked.

He took a deep breath, uncertain of that answer but before he could answer he felt something deep in his stomach that wasn't pleasant. His face fell, "Oh God." He said, dropping the phone and running to the bathroom. He barely made it there and got his pants off and seated before his stomach gave him its opinion on the noxious mixture of food he was partaking in.

Alice picked up the phone, hearing Bella call out for Edward. She was trying so hard to not laugh at the situation, but it was too funny to her. "Bella, he's okay. He's just been eating for a bit and mixing things I don't think anyone would ever dream of mixing."

Bella didn't quite understand, but she knew she couldn't stay at home anymore. She had to help, somehow.

"Bella, no." Alice said, seeing the vision almost immediately as Bella decided to come over. "Jacob is here, he has nowhere else to go. He's as dangerous as a newborn vampire almost, Edward's had years of practice to control himself around you but Jacob might not. And even if he couldn't, is it fair to either of them if you come over?"

"Fair?" Bella questioned.

"Edward is in Jacob's body with no control over his anger and Jacob is in Edward's body with no control over his thirst, either one of them could hurt you and neither of them would forgive himself or the other for hurting you."

"I'll take that risk. I'm not worried about being hurt."

"Bella, it's not safe." Alice said again. "Not just you but them. They can both seriously hurt or even kill the other. You and one of them or even both could die if you come over. I know it's the worst thing in the world right now Bella, but you have to stay away. At least for now. In the future, it might be better but for now... you have to stay away."

Bella exhaled, hating this. "Fine. I won't come now, but please... please... the moment I can see them- either of them, please call me."

"We will." Alice said. "Promise." She said before hanging up.

* * *

Sam lead the new pack to an area of the woods where he would have meetings with the La Push pack away from people. Quil and Embry moved out of the shadows and it was even at five and five. Kate knew their arrival meant that Sam was threatened. She knew she had to do something to show she wasn't a threat.

Her eyes turned to her pack, to her half-sister and to the three men who made up her pack. Her sister Grace, wouldn't be considered a threat. While Kate was tall and proud, Grace was nearly half a foot shorter and waif like. Kate exuded power and confidence and Grace was sensuality and femininity.

The next less intimidating was Caleb, despite his height he had a gangly and gawky look. He didn't look like he knew what to do with his height and build. Caleb wore a dopey grin on his face, he didn't really understand the full weight of this meeting. He was also the most recent turn which was why Kate knew he wasn't right.

The last two males were the tallest and shortest but the two strongest. One, Tristan- the tallest of the guys, had a calm patience to his face though his eyes betrayed his distrust. The other, Drew, looked like he wanted to lunge at Sam and rip his head off. She knew he was too volatile to stay.

"Drew, Caleb... How about you run back to Ocean Shores and get the car?" She asked, pulling out her keys and tossing them to Drew.

His dark eyes moved to her, he didn't like that request. She gave a look to him, showing him that his disobedience would not be tolerated. Drew nodded and he took off at a jog towards the woods. Caleb took off after. Within moments they were gone.

Kate looked to Sam, she had sent half of her pack away to show Sam that there was no need to fear them. Sam didn't seem too impressed with it though. He didn't send any of his pack away to even it. Instead he moved down the path and signaled the others to stay. Kate did the same. She stopped though, looking to Grace and Tristan. She didn't like how her sister was looking at all the boys. "Keep an eye on her."

"Prude." Grace muttered.

Tristan chuckled and nodded, his shaggy auburn brown hair falling into his blue hazel eyes. "Will do."

Kate smiled and moved down the path after Sam. They reached a small creek with a fallen log near it. She moved and sat on the log.

"You said you were Quileute." Sam said.

Kate nodded. "We are. Not full like you guys, but 1/16th. A couple of us are a quarter. Caleb has legal status as a Quileute. Trust me, it wasn't an easy connection to make between us."

"So how did it happen?" Sam asked, leaning against a tree.

"I was first." The brunette woman began. "I go... I went to college in Seattle."

"U Dub?" Sam asked.

Kate smirked a little, "Yeah, no... Seattle Central Community College. I didn't have the grades or money for the University of Washington. I just wanted out of Auburn. I wanted a big city. It's where it happened. There was all these murders going on... vampiric attacks." She said. "I'd been temperamental, feverish but I tried to ignore it to go to this party by the waterfront. I shifted there the first time. I had to hide for days in a condemned warehouse until I could shift back. I thought I'd gone crazy so I withdrew from school and tried to figure it out. I couldn't shift while living in the city so I'd drive out to areas like Bothell, Redmond, or back home to Auburn where there was more cover for me. That's where I found Tristan. He'd been at University, Western Washington University, and he'd come to Seattle to visit a friend and ended up triggering his shift."

Sam listened, it made sense. They hadn't been able to get into Seattle because of their size. The vampire army feasted and grew there unchecked. People with Quileute blood had been in their presence and it drew the wolves deep out of their genes. "And the others?"

"Tristan and I would try to pick some out from the group, the uncounted strays as we called them. Draw them away and eliminate them. We killed one and its mate had been watching. It followed me for days. It followed me back to Auburn and that's when Grace was triggered. It's how I found out I had a half sister actually."

Sam gave a nod, he knew how that was. Embry was quite likely his half brother, if not his then Quil or Jake, but he looked nothing like Quil so it was either him or Jake.

"After she was triggered, the three of us chased that fang all the way down to Oregon. It's where Drew was. He'd turned not long after me. His girlfriend had been killed by a vampire from the Seattle army in front of him. He shifted right then, killed the vampire, then ran home and hid in the woods. He couldn't get past his anger to shift back, not without help." She explained. "We met up with Caleb who came across the army when they were on the move this way."

"You didn't join the fight?" Sam asked.

"There are five of us. We've never taken more than one or two at a time. As much as our instincts told us to fight, I wasn't going to risk my pack. We've been watching. No murders, no nothing. So we left it. We tried to figure out how this happened to us and it's when we came across the genetic links that bound us. It was Caleb. He's very proud to be Quileute, even if he's never been on your land before today."

Sam smirked a little, they weren't on tribal land yet but the thought was still funny. He exhaled, "Why won't you join our pack then? We can teach you everything you need to know."

"Because it's hard enough being in a pack mind with four other people, joining yours will overwhelm us. And this land is your life. It's not ours. We have lives, jobs, school... we'll have to get back to that sooner or later. We can't give everything up, if we could we might join but at the same time that's a lot for me to give up. It's their trust in me I'd be relinquishing. I can't."

Sam nodded, it made sense. Well, at least the thought did but the fact was that becoming a wolf was a lifelong thing. "We have a way we do things, vampires we have a treaty with. If you stay or you go, they're protected."

"You... protect... vampires?" She asked. It was like a squid saying that it liked to sunbathe in the desert. It wasn't rational.

"We don't protect them." Sam said coldly, "Our ancestors made a pact with them. They don't hunt humans and if they never do we can't touch them... and you won't either."

Kate's jaw tightened at his tone and his demand.

"You're Quileute. You'll respect the laws of our elders or leave."

Kate's hands tightened a little but she forced herself to take a deep breath, "I want to meet the vampires to decide for myself and for my pack. We don't have a great past with vampires, I can't ask my pack to honor that treaty or deny their nature if I can't vouch for the vampire's honor." It felt so stupid calling vampires honorable but she didn't want to go to war with the La Push pack.

Sam took a few moments to consider. "I'll speak with the head of the coven and then get back to you."

Kate nodded, it was a start.

* * *

Jacob moved inside the house. He saw Edward move out of a room and across the top of the stairs towards another room. He heard his thoughts and his general displeasure with how he felt. Jacob smiled but found himself moving silently up the stairs behind Edward. He moved upstairs and knocked on the door of the room Edward moved into.

"Come in." Edward replied.

Jacob moved inside, seeing Edward laying on a large golden bed in the room. "Hey. You okay?"

"I think I ate too much." Edward murmured.

Jacob grinned a little, "You just ate stuff you shouldn't mix. Ketchup and mayo are condiments, not food."

"Good to know." Edward said.

"So..." Jacob said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "This is your room?"

"Yes." Edward replied.

"I didn't think you slept." Jacob said, remembering watching Edward watch him and Bella when she slept in the tent on the mountain.

"I don't. Well I didn't. I might now that I'm stuck in your form." Edward answered.

"So what's the bed for?" Jacob questioned.

"Bella." Edward replied.

Jacob instantly regretted asking as Edward began to think about Bella in his arms, her leg hitching up over him and pulling their bodies closer. His eyes narrowed on Edward and he kicked out and broke the leg of the bed, causing Edward to half fall and half roll out of the bed towards him. Jacob started regretting that outburst even more as Edward stayed hunched, his chest heaving in anger. Jacob could clearly see the anger in Edward's thoughts and body language. He could also tell it was too late to stop him. "I'm sorry." Jacob said, grabbing Edward and throwing him out the open door that didn't seem to go anywhere but open space.

As Edward flew back towards the ground, he turned, his clothes exploding outward as the shift ripped through body. He landed on four paws. Jacob looked down, his eyes wide. "What the...?" He said softly.

Instead of being Jacob's russet brown, the wolf that was on the ground was a mix of white and black, mostly white but with splashes of black on his side. His eyes were golden, showing that it was Edward and not Jacob's form, with black patches around his eyes. Jacob felt uncomfortable watching Edward in that form, it felt unnatural.

Edward heard no other thoughts as he stood in wolf form. He saw Jacob up in his house and he leaned his head back and howled.

* * *

Kate and Sam both turned their head to the sound of the howl. "That's not one of mine." She said.

"Mine either." He said, dread spreading through his body.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the delay guys. I know where the story's mostly going but there has been a bit a road block getting there. I also started back into school which does eat some of my time. Hang in there! PS. Reviews are AMAZING motivation to write more! *hint hint***


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